


Say I Don't Wanna Be In Love (I Don't Wanna Be In Love)

by emorion



Series: Alex Manes Protection Squad [5]
Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Bisexual Kyle Valenti, Dialogue Heavy, M/M, alex manes protection squad, brief mentions of michael and maria, kyle confronts michael, mentions of malex, pansexual kyle valenti
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-05-16 22:57:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19327825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emorion/pseuds/emorion
Summary: The doctor sensed that there was more to this UFO piece than he had previously thought, but he didn’t want to pry. Instead, he noticed that there was an obvious solution. “Why don’t I just take him the piece?”Alex looked up at Kyle. “Are you serious? He hates you!”“So what? It’s not anything I can’t deal with.” Kyle shrugged. “We made it through Caufield, didn’t we? Besides, you can’t look this good without making enemies.”





	Say I Don't Wanna Be In Love (I Don't Wanna Be In Love)

**Author's Note:**

> Alex forgot something important.  
> Kyle and Michael interact.  
> This is the highest my word count has gone so far.  
> Title from Good Charlotte's "I Don't Wanna Be In Love (Dance Floor Anthem)"  
> Bon Appetit

"You gonna tell me what you're thinkin', Manes?" Kyle asked, sliding into the kitchen like Tom Cruise.

"Shhhh!" Alex reprimanded. "You want her to hear you?”

Rosa had fallen asleep on the couch ten minutes ago, and she didn't stir when Alex moved from next to her. Kyle shook his head, but when he spoke again, it was a whisper. "How could you give Guerin that UFO piece?"

A loud gong rang through the kitchen as the pan in Alex's hand hit the ground. "Ssshhhiii-" Kyle shushed, peeking around the corner at his still sleeping sister. When he was sure Rosa hadn't stirred, he turned back to Alex. He was surprised to find his friend looking like a bright pink fish out of water.

"The- the UFO- p- piece-" Alex sputtered, leaning into the counter. Kyle rushed to steady him, placing his hands on the airman's hips. Alex looked up at Kyle, his eyes frenzied. "I forgot about that."

Kyle huffed. "You what?" He asked. "What else of his did you have?"

It should have been impossible, but Kyle swore Alex turned even pinker.

The airman looked back at him in shock. “I forgot about the UFO piece!” He repeated before rushing into his bedroom. “How could I be so stupid?”

“Relax, Alex,” Kyle said, following his friend. “It’s not like you don’t know where he lives!”

Alex went to his dresser and pulled out his backpack. “You don’t get it, Kyle. I can’t give this to him now!”

“Why the hell not?” Kyle laughed acerbically as Alex pulled out the artifact. “He hurt you! Why the heck would you want a piece of him just lying around?”

“First of all, this isn’t technically Michael’s.” Alex ran his hand over the fragment, watching as the colors gleamed and swayed. “It was Jim’s, and he hid it for me. It’s mine. It’s not like, a shirt or something that he just left here. He doesn’t know I have it. Second of all, when I said that I can’t give it to him now, I meant that I can’t give it to him.”

“Why not?” Kyle said, feeling like a broken record.

Alex shrugged, shaking his head. “I told him that I never wanted to see him again.”

“Woah.” Kyle rubbed his chin. He never thought he’d see the day when Alex Manes would be this open towards him. No “that’s not really your business” or “why do you care, Valenti?”

Alex rolled his eyes. “Don’t act like it’s some monumental thing, Kyle. I’m not being dramatic.”

Kyle put his hands up. “No, I don’t think you’re being dramatic, It’s just... I’m shook.”

“’Shook’?” Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kyle rolled his eyes. “Yes, shook. It means...”

“I know what it means.” Alex smiled. “It’s a word for teenagers. And apparently grown ass Bro-Jocks.”

“You wound me.” Kyle scoffed, though he was smiling. “Rosa’s been scoping online. Blogs and stuff. She’s begun to pick up some of the lingo people use, and she only has two people to try it out on.”

“Well, you can make that three, I guess.”

Kyle didn’t realize that he was smiling like a dope until Alex cleared his throat.

“Anyways,” the airman continued, “I can’t just go and give it to him. He’ll think it’s me being petty.”

The doctor sensed that there was more to this UFO piece than he had previously thought, but he didn’t want to pry. Instead, he noticed that there was an obvious solution. “Why don’t I just take him the piece?”

Alex looked up at Kyle. “Are you serious? He hates you!”

“So what? It’s not anything I can’t deal with.” Kyle shrugged. “We made it through Caufield, didn’t we? Besides, you can’t look this good without making enemies.” He added, waggling his eyebrows for effect.

Alex snorted, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, okay, sure. And what do you plan on saying? ‘Here’s this thing I found in my dad’s things, not really sure what it is, but it looks alien so here you go?’”

Wow. Okay. Was it conceited of Kyle to be really attracted to Alex’s impression of him? Probably.

“Yes?” Kyle asked, happy his voice hadn’t given anything away. “I mean, he has no reason to believe we do everything together. We aren’t joined at the hip or anything.”

“No, but we are working on Project Shepherd together. And this artifact is obviously alien. There’s no way he’d believe you kept it from me.”

Kyle sighed, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. “What if I hid it somewhere for him to find?”

Alex seemed to think it over for a while before shaking his head. “It's far too valuable. We can’t risk it getting into the wrong hands.”

That was true. Especially with Alex’s brothers in town. They probably knew exactly what to look for, those sneaky little creeps.

“Why don’t I just tell him that I found it today?” Kyle asked, receiving a sour glance from Alex. “No, listen. I found it today, that’s why I came here. I showed it to you, and you told me to take it to Guerin.”

Alex pondered that for a second, before suddenly laying backwards on his bed. “UGH! I don’t even care anymore! I’m so tired of caring!”

Kyle stood up from his spot on the floor and walked over to the bed. Alex looked tired. His eyes were puffy and he was starting to develop frown lines around his mouth. Kyle felt a pang of disappointment in his heart when he thought about how much Alex had to worry about. Hopefully, Rosa would help, but Kyle wanted Alex to know that he was there for him, too.

“I’ll take care of this for you, Manes.” He told his friend. “Don’t worry. I’ll give him the piece, it’ll be fine.”

Alex looked up at Kyle then, and Kyle could have fainted. Alex was so beautiful, looking up at him through hooded eyes. Michael Guerin was crazy. How could he turn this down?

“Thank you, Kyle.” Alex said, softly. “Just, don’t say anything too incriminating.”

“Incriminating?”

“I should of given it to him.” Alex explained, sitting up. “As soon as I knew how important it was to him. I'm pretty sure that this is the last piece. It’s important-”

It was obvious that Alex was getting worked up, so Kyle set his hand on the soldier’s shoulders. “Hey, hey, its okay. I won’t let you down.”

With a small smile, Alex reverently put the piece in his backpack. It was likely the last time he would hold it, Kyle noticed, and he wondered if Alex had noticed, too. By the way he let his hands linger on the zipper, Kyle suspected he had.

“This is good, by the way.” Kyle found Alex’s eyes. “Healthy. Sometimes, to truly heal, you have to completely cut out the infection.”

“Like amputating a limb?” Alex asked, slyly, though his eyes shined with unshed tears.

Kyle cringed. “Jesus, Manes! I didn’t mean-”

“I’m messing with you, Valenti!” Alex said with a watery laugh as he tossed the backpack to his friend. Kyle laughed along, but after a minute, the laughter dissipated, leaving a silence that should have been awkward, but somehow wasn’t.

Clearing his throat, Kyle put the backpack over his shoulder. “Thanks again for letting Rosa stay with you.” The doctor said with a nod. “Sorry it had to be so late. I really think it’ll be good for her, after seeing you guys together. We just don’t have much in common.”

“Don’t be hard on yourself, Kyle.” Alex soothed. “You’re trying with her, just like you’ve been trying with me.”

Kyle shrugged. “I just want to do right by both of you this time.” He sighed again before nodding and opening the door.

“We can tell.” Alex commented from behind him, and when Kyle turned around, he found the airman looking at him. “Good luck.” He said, gesturing to the backpack.

With one last nod, Kyle turned and walked out.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________

By the time Kyle returned to his apartment, it was seven in the morning. He was so tired, he barely registered hanging Alex’s backpack on the coatrack before passing out on his bed.

At two in the afternoon, the doctor’s phone went off. He groaned at his past self, setting an alarm for seven hours rather than the recommended eight. He felt rested though, so he couldn’t really complain.

Kyle had read somewhere that early humans slept for four hours at a time, rather than eight. It was supposedly so that one group could sleep while the other group kept watch, due to potential dangers. Then they would rotate, and they would do this twice a day. Same twelve hours awake with eight-hour sleeps, just broken up differently.

As he showered, Kyle pondered as to which would be better. For some reason, two four-hour sleeps seemed more productive then one eight-hour sleep. Both sounded way better than four ten-minute sleeps. And sometimes it seemed that the longer he slept, the more tired he’d be the next day. Maybe sleep was a construct.

No, that was ridiculous. Thoughts like that are all the proof Kyle needs that eight hours of sleep would have definitely been preferred.

Drying off, Kyle made a mental list of the things he had to do in his off time. First of all, he had to visit his mother. He had barely seen her since Rosa came back, too afraid that she would realize that something was up.

While he was at it, he would have to check in on the whereabouts of the Manes thugs. They were galivanting around town, trying to scrape up any clues as to how Alex was able to comatose their father. Apparently, the man was too “brave” to attempt suicide, and “if it had been a suicide attempt, he’d use a gun like a real man.” Assholes.

Finally, Kyle would have to deliver the spaceship piece to an angry cowboy who already hated his guts and thought he was after his ex. Which, to be fair, was accurate, though Kyle wouldn’t use those exact words. Alex wasn’t something to “go after”. That was one of the things Michael didn’t seem to get. Alex wasn’t an object. He was a person, who had his own struggles that existed outside of the alien’s orbit. Struggles that Guerin either ignored, or didn’t care about.

Either way, it was best for Alex to be rid of Michael, once and for all.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________

After visiting his mother (‘oh, mi hijo, it's been so long! Don’t tell me you’ve been too busy to visit tú mamá-’) and locating the three stooges (‘What’s Kyle doing in the police station?’ ‘His mom’s the sheriff, poindexter!’) all in one fell swoop, Kyle made his way to Guerin’s airstream. He’d made a couple detours to ensure he wasn’t followed before finally reaching the junkyard. When he finally pulled up, he saw Guerin leaning into the hood of a car.

It was strange that Michael hadn’t even looked up at the approaching vehicle. Kyle figured that he was either too engrossed in what he was doing, or he had simply assessed the presence through the force and detected no immediate threat. You know, the Jedi way.

Michael did bear a resemblance to a certain Jedi-turned-Sith-lord. Perhaps Kyle would point that out to Alex. Once he’s had time to heal, of course.

“Be with you in just a second.” Guerin called without looking up as Kyle approached.

Kyle snorted. Either the cowboy was dumb enough to believe he was safe all the time or he really did have the force.

Or maybe Kyle was just paranoid.

The snort gave him away, though, as Michael threw down his rag and turned around with a scowl. “Whad’ya want, Valenti? Come to pour salt in the wound?”

Kyle scoffed. His wound? He could not be serious. “Forgive me, your highness, for forgetting the severity of your broken heart. I just figured that it probably wasn’t that bad, seeing as if you had no problem moving on.”

Maybe that wasn’t the best idea.

In a flash, Michael had Kyle’s shirt in his balled fists and shoved him into the wall.

“First of all, screw you!” The alien spat. “You have NO IDEA how I feel! YOU! On your golden pedestal with your silver spoon and mommy and daddy’s unwavering support!”

Kyle felt himself being lifted from the floor as Guerin continued.

“You know what love is! You’ve only known love your entire life! You don’t have a clue about real hate! Or real pain!”

“Maybe you’re forgetting the part where I lost my father!” Kyle said it to defend himself, but as soon as he said it, he knew it was the wrong thing to say.

“And I lost my mother!” Guerin screamed as the tools and car parts on the walls began to rattle. “And I lost my brother! And I lost every chance I had of finally figuring out who I am! Where I belong!”

Nodding frantically, Kyle switched gears. It was obvious now that angering Guerin was not a safe bet. “You’re right, you’re right! I don’t know the first thing about any of that!” He struggled to be louder than the clanking all around him, though it was hard with Michael holding him by his collar. “Maybe I can help! I found something, Alex said you need it!”

At the mention of Alex’s name, Guerin growled as the rattling stopped abruptly. Kyle was dropped to the ground without warning, fortunately landing on his feet. The cowboy looked at Kyle with pain in his eyes, a silent "what the hell are you talking about?"

Wordlessly, Kyle turned his eyes to the backpack that was now laying in the dirt.

“That’s not your backpack.” Guerin said, accusatory.

Kyle rolled his eyes. “Just open it.”

Cautiously, with far more care than Kyle has ever witnessed from the alien, Michael walked over to the bag and picked it up. As soon as the zipper was half-way open, the man gasped.

When he took the piece out, all Kyle could think about was how he’d only ever seen it in Alex’s hands. Now, seeing Michael hold it with the same open-minded reverence he’d seen on the airman’s face, Kyle felt an irrational pull of jealousy in his chest. Just add this to an already long list of things that Guerin has got to share with Alex.

“Where did you get this?” Michael asked, obviously aiming for snark but landing elated panic instead.

Kyle felt weird lying now, what with Guerin’s defenses being down, but he wasn’t here for Michael.

“My dad left it behind. For Alex.” He added, figuring that detail was innocent enough to include. If he played this right, Kyle figured he could get away with throwing some truth in there. “We found it in the cabin. Last night.”

“Ah, you mean after I left.” And the angry cowboy was back. Yeehaw.

“Yes, Gurien. Grow up.” Kyle was angry again, too. “My sister, who just came back from the dead after ten years, mind you, needed her friend.”

“So you found this last night?” Guerin asked, running his hand over the smooth surface. “Did you find it, or did he find it?”

“Alex found it.” Kyle said. That was the truth. “He recognized it immediately.” Not so true.

The cowboy nodded, still looking at the piece. “He still wanted me to have it. After everything.”

Well there was a feeling Kyle could relate to. “He said he didn’t want to be petty. He thinks you deserve to be happy.”

“So why didn’t he bring it to me?” Guerin asked, looking at Kyle and tipping his head. “Why’d he send you?”

Kyle crossed his arms across his chest and shot the alien a look full of disdain. “I think you know the answer to that question.”

“That seems petty.” Michael said, raising the UFO piece in the air. “This is really freaking monumental. Did he tell you that?”

“Duh, moron!” Kyle yelled, exasperated. “I wouldn’t be bringing it to you-”

“Did he tell you that I'm trying to leave the planet!?” Michael interrupted. “Did he tell you that this piece could be my ticket home!?”

No. Alex left that part out. That was pretty monumental.

“He seriously sent you to deliver this to me?” Michael sounded hurt. “After everything we’ve been through.” Guerin started to pace the garage, tugging at his wild curls. “I mean, I know he’s hurt. Maria was his best friend, his family. He told me I was his family, and he told me he was sorry for leaving me behind. And I ditched him! I stood him up!”

Kyle nodded along to the cowboy’s confessions like some kind of therapist, allowing him to relive just how crappy he’d been to Alex.

“But it hurts to love him! It’s always hurt, but lately, it's just been so much harder. Ever since my mother, what his father did to all those people-”

“Jesse Manes.” Kyle snapped. “His name is Jesse Manes and he and Alex are not synonymous. That monster has done things to Alex that no child deserves, including alienating him from his own bothers! Nobody knows Jesse’s wrath more than Alex! Do you honestly believe he asked for all that? You think he chose it?”

“Of course not!” Guerin snarled. “I just- I need a break! I need a break from all this pain!”

“Okay.” Kyle threw his arms out and shook his head. “So what, you’re using Maria? Ruining one of the only good relationships Alex has- ”

“I’m not using Maria!” Michael shouted, kicking the dirt like a child. “I like her!”

“So what’s your endgame here?” Kyle asked. “I’m not sure of all the details, but I'm pretty sure that Alex told you last night that he never wanted to see you again. You got what you wanted; you can be with Maria.”

“I didn’t want to hurt Alex!” Michael exclaimed as the tools started rattling again. “I didn’t want to hurt him to the point where he won’t even say goodbye!”

There were tears in the cowboy’s eyes, and Kyle couldn’t help but feel a little bad. The man in front of him was obviously in pain, and he couldn’t just stand by and watch. He was a doctor, after all. Plus, he’d become a nice guy, and as the saying goes, sometimes nice guys finish last.

“Hey, it’s not too late.” Kyle sighed. “You have the piece, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave.”

Michael looked up at Kyle as if he’d suddenly grown two heads. Kyle felt like he’d suddenly grown two heads.

“You hurt him pretty bad.” Kyle shrugged as he continued. “You should have talked to him. But this doesn’t have to be the end. Give him time, maybe he’ll come around.”

“You really believe that?” Guerin asked incredulously.

“Sure, don’t be so dramatic.” Kyle rolled his eyes. “I mean, am I supposed to believe you were just going to leave Isobel? And Liz? And now you have Maria, so?”

Guerin shook his head. “This is my chance to find out who I am.”

“We aren’t defined by where we came from.” Kyle replied. “I’m not going to tell you what you should do. I don’t care. Not really. I just want everyone to be happy.”

“You want Alex to be happy.” Michael pointed out.

This guy. “Of course, I do. Don’t you?”

“Of course!”

Kyle suddenly remembered Caufield. How jealous Michael seemed at the prospect of Alex and Kyle spending time together.

“Even if he finds happiness with someone else, like you did?”

“You got something to tell me, Valenti?” Oh, hello again, angry cowboy.

“What, Guerin?” Kyle rebounded. “You can’t be with Maria and Alex! Alex deserves to move on, too!”

“With you?”

“If that’s what he wants, yes.”

The alien looked like he’d been slapped. “Is that what you want?” He asked in a low growl.

Kyle lifted his chin and met the cowboy’s eyes. It felt like one of those western movies where the outlaw would challenge the sheriff to a shootout at high-noon. “Yes.” He answered smoothly. “I’ve loved Alex for a while now. It just took a long time to realize it.”

Guerin shook his head, panic filling his eyes. “Seriously? You mean to tell me you’re bi?”

“Actually, I prefer pansexual. It's got nothing to do with gender-.”

“And you gave Alex a hard time in high school?”

“Something I’ve been working with Alex to amend-”

“And what? You want my blessing? Not gonna happen. Sorry, Doc.”

Kyle scoffed. “I don’t need your stupid blessing!” he yelled. This wasn’t going anywhere useful, so he grabbed Alex’s backpack, sans UFO piece, and made to leave the garage. “Ball’s in your court, Guerin. Make up your mind. Just don’t be surprised if Alex isn’t waiting for you in the end.”

He made it to the car without another word from Guerin, a fact for which Kyle was very happy for, even if the slamming of his car door suggested otherwise. Adults sometimes slammed doors. It wasn’t just for angry teenagers.

Speaking of angry teenagers, Kyle remembered the angry music that Rosa had been listening to in the car. He flipped the radio to the CD changer and sure enough, Emo 2000s hits started playing.

Kyle decided that after the day he had had, He didn’t want to be alone. He needed his sister. He needed his friend. Hell, he needed Hayley! Alex would probably want to know how it went with Guerin anyway, even if he wouldn’t outright ask.

Turning the music on full blast, Kyle set his destination for the cabin. He let the angry woman on the radio feed his rage, eventually catching on enough to sing the hate fueled chorus and singing at the top of his lungs. By the end of the third song, Kyle felt vindicated.

No wonder Alex and Rosa liked it so much.

**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me on tumblr @emorion88.  
> If you like my work, and have an idea, Feel free to send me prompts.


End file.
